IASB Journal July August 2019

July/August 2019 Vol. 87 No. 4

Teacher Shortage

Data for Illinois and nationwide

Effect on English learners

Commentary and recommendations

Front Page

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If this issue of Illinois School Board Journal looks a little different, that’s because it is. It’s been 20 years since the Journal got a renovation, renewal, and redesign. The change has been percolating for a while, and the effort was kicked up a notch this past year, with strategic goals of offering high-quality deliverables and timely communications on relevant topics and issues.

The Journal’s mission and focus haven’t changed.

The mission is to serve school board members with information and insights that will help them be effective. The focus is on school board performance.

What has changed are the ways the Journal will serve school board members and address those needs; the goal is to be more readable, more relevant, and more useful.

One of my first tasks as editor was to permanently “spike,” in other words to end, a long-running and apparently much-read feature called “The Boiler Room.”

Authored over time by different school administrators, it was penned from the perspective of Gus, the curmudgeonly custodian at a fictional elementary school in Illinois. As I joined IASB in 2014, we learned that Gus’s final author had passed away. And, so did “The Boiler Room.”

I have happier news to report on the changes you’ll see in this and future Journals. Although the “Ask the Staff” column has been spiked, it meets its demise in favor of regular features to help school board members serve their communities. Each issue will have thoughts and updates from leadership, starting with “Transitions and talking,” by IASB Executive Director Thomas Bertrand on page 4. A new policy feature will offer timely advice on making the most of your policy manual, starting with “Policy Updating: What requires board adoption?” by Kimberly Small and Angie Powell on page 9.

The new Journal retains the Practical PR feature. In rifling through previous Journals for design and content history, I came across an old-school, pre-social media take on “Turning stakeholders into supporters.” The advice is as timely today, so with a nod to the past, we’re reprinting an old piece with our new look on page 29.

The recently-launched feature of panel reports from the Joint Annual Conference, known as ICYMIs (In Case You Missed Its), also return.

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Another new, recurring department, “From the Field,” will bring insights and advice from IASB’s Member Services team. That commences on page 6 of this issue with “Serendipity: The gift of finding good things accidentally,” written by retiring Field Services Director Larry Dirks as something of a farewell. More than just an expert in finding “fresh ways to express time-tested universal ideas,” Dirks has been, literally, part of the entertainment around here. He and another summer retiree, Mailroom Supervisor and proofreader extraordinaire Ed Blair, have brought years of music and laughter to the Springfield office, during the holiday season and beyond. I’m going to miss those guys.

The work of a school board member includes understanding the topics of broad and current interest in public education. So (speaking of serendipity) the prevailing topic for this issue is addressing the teacher shortage. Although we have touched on this topic before, this issue brings together articles that provide national and statewide perspective, commentary, and recommendations, as well as a research-based focus on the shortage of dual-language teachers in Illinois.

Understanding that the board fills a special role that is different from all the other roles in public education, the Journal addresses the needs of public bodies whose job it is to adopt school district policies and monitor the results. Your role as a school board member also encompasses the processes and best practices of governing.

A gentleman who has addressed needs and described best practices and written decades of news is also retiring this summer. For 28 years, the work of Director of Editorial Services Gary Adkins has graced the pages of IASB, from paper to screen and from pencil to keyboard, to keep members informed and enlightened. I’m going to miss that guy, too.

If you have a story to share, a topic you’d like us to tackle, or a question that needs to be answered, or a comment on the Journal (new or old), please let me know. I welcome all input, conversation, submissions, and feedback.

Theresa Kelly Gegen is Editor of Illinois School Board Journal. You can reach her at tgegen@iasb.com.

Table of Contents FEATURE ARTICLES Fixing the educator shortage at the district level 12

By Sarah J. Kaka, Robert Mitchell, and Grant Clayton

Reflecting the national picture of the teacher shortage, educators describe ways for districts to develop creative and effective strategies so all students can have a qualified educator in the classroom.

teacher shortage 21 Illinois and the effect on English learners

By Karen Garibay-Mulattieri and Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro

As the number of ELs grows throughout the state and multilingualism is increasingly viewed as an asset for Illinois students, addressing the bilingual teacher shortage in Illinois becomes an imperative.

REGULAR FEATURES 2 Front Page 4 Leadership Letter Transitions and Talking

COMMENTARY

5 New @IASB

shortage in Illinois: Time to look at 16 Teacher existing, untapped human resources

6 From the Field

Serendipity: The gift of finding good things accidentally

By Hans A. Andrews

As teacher shortage trends in Illinois worsen, educators discuss improving school climate, creating “grow your own” and teacher pipelines, and decreasing the burdens for the state’s future teachers.

25

Exploring options In the wake of the legislative session, educator Jim Rosborg offers commentary on what should come next to increase in the numbers of teachers, and future teachers, in Illinois.

Kara Kienzler, Associate Executive Director Theresa Kelly Gegen, Editor Gary Adkins, Contributing Editor Heath Hendren, Contributing Editor Britni Beck, Advertising Manager Katie Grant, Design and Production

What requires board adoption?

26 In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) 29 Practical PR

Turning stakeholders into supporters

By Jim Rosborg

July/August 2019 Vol. 87 No. 3

9 Policy Page

34 Milestones 35 Insights

ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD JOURNAL (ISSN- 0 019-221X ) is published ever y other month by the Illinois Association of Sc hool B oa rd s, 2921 Ba ker Dr ive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929 (217/5289688). The IASB regional office is located at One Imperial Place, 1 East 22nd Street, Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120 (630/629-3776).

The JOURNAL is supported by the dues of school boards holding active membership in the Illinois Association of School Boards. Copies are mailed to all school board members and the superintendent in each IASB member school district.

Non-member subscription rate: Domestic $18 per year. Foreign (including Canada and Mexico) $21 per year.

PUBLICATION POLICY IASB believes that the domestic process functions best through frank and open discussion. Material published in the JOURNAL, therefore, often presents divergent and controversial points of view which do not necessarily represent the views or policies of IASB. Copyright © 2019 by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), the JOURNAL is published six times a year and is distributed to its members and subscribers. Copyright in this publication, including all articles and editorial information contained in it is exclusively owned by IASB, and IASB reserves all rights to such information. IASB is a tax-exempt corporation organized in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Leadership Letter

Transitions and talking

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By Thomas E. Bertrand

Summer is a time of transition in schools, with the end of one school year and preparation for another. It is an exciting time as we look forward to the possibilities that accompany the transition to a new school year.

With the addition of approximately 1,200 new school board members in April, many school boards also experienced a transition. This transition, coupled with the start of a new school year, presents an opportunity to welcome new board members, to hear new ideas, and to reflect and reset as a school board.

I often quote Celeste Headlee, author of We Need to Talk. She states “We must learn to talk to people we disagree with, because you can’t unfriend everyone in real life.”

Headlee cites a recent study that indicated that most Americans now believe that people who disagree with one another demonize the other person so aggressively that it is impossible to find common ground. This represents a troubling trend.

School board members must be intentional about board practices that contribute to a high functioning team and to relationships with one another built on mutual respect. As Headlee suggests, the missing ingredient from so many of our conversations today is empathy — the ability to sense someone else’s feelings, to be

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aware of their emotional state, and to imagine their experience.

As you prepare to welcome new members to your board, remember, there is no one with whom you have nothing in common. Remember that powerful conversations occur when people are willing to listen to and learn from one another. There will be disagreements. Don’t avoid the difficult conversations. Remember that respecting another person’s point of view is often more important than finding common ground on an issue. Respectful disagreement leaves the door open for the next conversation, one in which you may find agreement.

Our students are counting on you to advocate for quality public education for every child. They are counting on your school boards to model civil discourse, respectful

disagreement, and the ability to come to consensus around important issues.

Elvis Presley once said, “Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave ‘em all over everything you do.” Make a commitment this year to leaving your mark in a positive way on your board work and on your relationships with your fellow board members. Your students will benefit from your commitment.

School board service is a calling.

Thank you to the approximately 6,000 school board members who answered that call and to the new board members who have stepped up to board service. The staff of IASB looks forward to serving you.  Thomas E. Bertrand, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Illinois Association of School Boards.

New @ IASB Legislative Updates

Whenever the Illinois General Assembly is in Session, and wherever else news breaks, you can follow along with Alliance Legislative Reports, produced by the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance. Additionally, federal and state Legislative Alerts are produced by IASB. Transform Vision into Reality

Registration is open now for the 2019 Joint Annual Conference.

Recent Court Decisions

Stay on top of the latest additions to the online summary of recent court and agency decisions affecting schools in the school law section of iasb.com, including most recently an Open Meetings Act opinion.

New Board Member Resources

Additional resources for newly elected board members have been added to the New Board Member webpage, including a practical guide on school board meetings and records, a document explaining the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA).

Staff News

Patrick Allen has joined the staff of the Illinois Association of School Boards as a field services director. He takes over for Larry Dirks, who is retiring this summer after 14 years as field services director for IASB’s Abe Lincoln, Kaskaskia, Southwestern, and Two Rivers divisions. 

Illinois Association of School Boards Administration and Staff OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Thomas E. Bertrand, Executive Director Benjamin S. Schwarm, Deputy Executive Director Meetings Management Carla S. Bolt, Director Executive Searches Thomas Leahy, Director Timothy Buss, Consultant Jim Helton, Consultant Dave Love, Consultant Alan Molby, Consultant Valorie Moore, Consultant Patricia Sullivan-Viniard, Consultant OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL Kimberly Small, General Counsel Legal Services Maryam Brotine, Assistant General Counsel Debra Jacobson, Assistant General Counsel Policy Services Angie Powell, Director Brian Zumpf, Director Ken Carter, Director Boyd Fergurson, Consultant ADVOCACY/ GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Benjamin S. Schwarm, Deputy Executive Director Susan Hilton, Director Zach Messersmith, Director Deanna L. Sullivan, Director Ronald Madlock, Assistant Director ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Jennifer Feld, Associate Executive Director/ Chief Financial Officer

MEMBER SERVICES Dean Langdon, Associate Executive Director Board Development Sandra Kwasa, Director Nesa Brauer, Trainer Field Services Reatha Owen, Senior Director Patrick Allen, Director Perry Hill IV, Director Laura Martinez, Director Dee Molinare, Director COMMUNICATIONS/ PRODUCTION SERVICES Kara Kienzler, Associate Executive Director Gary W. Adkins, Director/Editorial Services Theresa Kelly Gegen, Director/Editorial Services Heath Hendren, Director/Editorial Services Jennifer Nelson, Director/Information Services Katie Grant, Assistant Director/Production Services CONTACT IASB Springfield Office 2921 Baker Drive Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929 217/528-9688 IASB Lombard Office One Imperial Place 1 East 22nd Street, Suite 20 Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120 630/629-3776 Staff Email First initial and last name preceding @iasb.com

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From the Field

Serendipity

The gift of finding good things accidentally

By Larry Dirks

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As I look toward the next phase of my life, I appreciate the opportunity to reflect on my time here at IASB, as the Field Services Director for Abe Lincoln, Kaskaskia, Southwestern, and Two Rivers Divisions. There will be no book or movie, “The World According To Dirks” but we all want to leave our mark in some way, so I give you these parting thoughts.

I am passionate that school boards learn about, and come to understand, their role as a governing board. And that they learn enough along the way, as individuals and as a group, to be effective in that role. A school board’s role is governance. That’s it. But of course, most of you know this can be a complex task. IASB’s Foundational Principles of Effective Governance, being essentially a job description for school boards, state that as an elected governing body, the board is obligated with the responsibility to 1) Clarify District Purpose, 2) Connect with the Community, 3) Employ a Superintendent, 4) Delegate Authority, 5) Monitor District Performance, and 6) Take Responsibility for Its Effectiveness.

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Over time, as I have looked for fresh ways to express time-tested universal ideas like the Foundational Principles, I began to express the six principles in terms of six questions.

These questions, I feel, get to the core of what each principle means: 1. What do we want?

2. How do we know that’s what we want?

3. Who will lead that effort?

4. Have we spoken clearly?

5. Is it happening, and how do we know? And finally; 6. How well are we doing our job, as a board, on numbers one through five?

Clarify District Purpose: What do we want?

Boards are responsible for “ends,” which means that their primary responsibility is to articulate what end result the district seeks.

This means mission, vision, goals, and outcomes. It is not the “means,” which is staff work. Not that boards shouldn’t be interested and knowledgeable of means. They should.

Boards need an understanding of the means — methods and strategies — and further how staff’s methods are accomplishing the goals of the district. It’s just not the board’s

responsibility to create and implement means.

Connect With the Community: How do we know that’s what we want?

If “what we want” is mission and goals, then it’s worth noting a quote by author, psychologist, and Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl that “you don’t invent your mission, you detect it.” A board detects its missions by asking the right questions, and listening to the community regarding the aspirations it, the community, has for the public education system. This means listening to understand, not just listening to respond. Of course, it has to be filtered through the lens of possibilities and practicalities, but there should be a community engagement dialogue, not a one-way conversation in either direction.

Employ a Superintendent: Who will lead the effort?

Get the right person driving the bus and let that person determine the best people to be on the bus in order to accomplish “what we want” as articulated in district ends. The board employs and holds accountable one person, the superintendent.

Delegates Authority: Have we spoken clearly, and empowered the leader, and staff?

The board expresses, in policy, its ends, operating limits, parameters, and expectations for the system.

Does everyone understand who we are and what we are trying to accomplish? Does the superintendent understand the board’s goals, and is the board informed of the superintendent’s strategy, and understand how it will be measured?

Monitor District Performance: Is it happening, and how do we know?

Boards have a responsibility to monitor that the authority given in Foundational Principle 4 is being used appropriately, and that there is evidence of progress toward district ends. Strategy (action plans) and indicators of success should be agreed upon in advance.

Boards should monitor for compliance with district policy and for progress toward clearly stated district goals.

Take Responsibility for Its Effectiveness: How well are we doing our job, as a board?

Effective school boards evaluate their own performance, as a governing body, which includes their work within the above Foundational Principles, but also with regard to their own behavior, processes, and norms as a group. The board, individually and collectively, takes responsibility for being effective.

Never-ending ends

Circling back to Foundational Principle 1 (the board clarifies district purpose), it is the first principle for a reason. In my work with boards on setting district goals and direction, I have used John and Mariam Carver’s quote many times: “If you haven’t said how you want it, then don’t ask how it is.”

The work of Foundational Principle 1 is saying how you want it, so that you can ask how it is. Clarifying district purpose is fundamentally and profoundly connected to the remaining five principles. By clarifying purpose and articulating ends the board connects with the community to “tell the district’s story” and to listen to the response (Principle 2). It also defines the skills needed from the educational leader (Principle 3), delegates what is to be done (Principle 4), and states what is to be monitored (Principle 5). Also, ends work is a perfect example of the board taking responsibility

IASB Board of Directors As of June 15, 2019

PRESIDENT Joanne Osmond VICE PRESIDENT Thomas Neeley TREASURER Linda Eades IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Phil Pritzker ABE LINCOLN Bill Alexander

NORTHWEST Chris Buikema

BLACKHAWK David Rockwell

SHAWNEE Sheila Nelson

CENTRAL ILLINOIS VALLEY Tim Custis

SOUTH COOK Lanell Gilbert

CORN BELT Mark Harms DUPAGE Thomas Ruggio EGYPTIAN Travis Cameron ILLINI Michelle Skinlo KASKASKIA Linda Eades KISHWAUKEE Robert Geddeis LAKE Marc Tepper NORTH COOK Alva Kreutzer

SOUTHWESTERN Mark Christ STARVED ROCK Simon Kampwerth Jr. THREE RIVERS Rob Rodewald TWO RIVERS Tracie Sayre WABASH VALLEY Dennis Inboden WEST COOK Carla Joiner-Herrod WESTERN Sue McCance SERVICE ASSOCIATES Jason Vogelbaugh

The vision of the Illinois Association of School Boards is excellence in local school board governance supporting quality public education.

The mission of the Illinois Association of School Boards is to Light the Way for its members by developing their competence and confidence through a robust toolkit designed to build excellence in local school board governance, including • Premier training experiences; • Networking opportunities for mutual support; • Valuable benefits, pooled services, information, and expertise; • Advocacy on behalf of public education; and • A platform for a strong collective voice on common interests and concerns.

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for its effectiveness (Principle 6).

But it’s not a “one and done” activity. Any district that has worked with me doing goal-setting for the

That would describe me and the Illinois Association of School Boards. After 25 years of production agriculture, and a mid-life

I have used John and Mariam Carver’s quote many times: “If you haven’t said how you want it, then don’t ask how it is.” district has heard me say multiple times “it’s a process, not an event,” meaning the ongoing work of the board is to define, articulate, and redefine district ends. It is continuous improvement, and it is the essence of school board work. Never ending ends.

Serendipity

Serendipity is defined as the gift of finding good things accidentally, or perhaps by grace.

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crisis feeling I needed to do more meaningful work in my life, I found good things at IASB, more or less accidentally. And in an effort to keep a diverse staff that was somewhat reflective of the school board member population, IASB found what I hope were good things in me, more or less accidentally. I leave IASB certain that I have made a difference, however small. I’m not sure that I can measure it as well as I’d like,

but it’s there in the eyes of those who wish me well in retirement. I stand in awe of the commitment of school board members, and administrators, throughout the state for their dedication to what can be a thankless job most days.

But they do it anyway. I have tremendous respect and admiration for my colleagues, the IASB staff, past and present, who have mentored me, supported me, worked alongside me, and most importantly, have laughed and enjoyed life with me. Thank you.  Larry Dirks is retiring after 14 years as Field Services Director for the Abe Lincoln, Kaskaskia, Southwestern, and Two Rivers divisions of IASB He did, indeed, make a difference.

In the future, you may encounter him substitute teaching, playing music with his acoustic band, and performing as a solo singer/ songwriter in Central Illinois.

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Policy Page

Policy Updating

What requires board adoption?

By Kimberly Small and Angie Powell

A

A school board governs through written policy, with an Illinois policy manual including an average of approximately 175 policies that carry the force and effect of law. In order for the board to focus on its governance role, it is important to understand the policy updating process, as well as the differences between the board’s policy governance role and the administration’s role in implementing board policy.

Ever-changing state and federal laws, regulations, court cases, and community values mean that a school board’s policy manual requires frequent updating. PRESS, IASB’s policy and procedure information and updating service, publishes updates to its Policy Reference Manual approximately three times per year. These updates may include changes to • Legally required policy language • Governance best practices • Optional policy language for the board to consider • Footnote information • Cross references • Legal references • Sample administrative procedures and exhibits In addition to IASB’s PRESS sample updates, your board, staff, community, or attorney may

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recommend changes as well. Some of these changes require formal adoption by the board, and others do not.

The adoption of a policy serves to supersede all previously adopted versions of that policy. One adoption date should be listed at the bottom of each adopted board policy, and should be replaced with a new date with each board action on that policy. Some boards list all revision history dates and that is OK. Substantive edits should be considered at a first and second reading, allowing time for staff and community input.

The answer to whether a policy must go through a first and second reading depends upon the board’s local policy manual and/or practice. State law does not require two readings except in a few very specific instances involving bonds, tax anticipation warrants, and situations when the board attorney would provide guidance specific to the facts. But a second reading allows boards to hear feedback from interested parties, including staff, parents, students, and community members. Always check with the board policy manual and the board attorney if there are any questions as to whether a second reading is required.

Administrative procedures and exhibits that provide guidance for the work of the administrative staff

do not require formal board adoption. They should be included in a separate administrative procedures manual rather than within the board policy manual, which distinguishes work that is the role of the board from work that is the role of the staff.

This practice also helps avoid confusion as to whether an administrative procedure should be adopted by the board when it is changed by the superintendent and/or district staff in order to remain current.

The graphic on page 11 explains the elements of the PRESS Policy Reference Manual that may be updated in a PRESS update issue and whether or not the change requires board adoption. A subscription to PRESS Plus, IASB’s customized, full-maintenance updating service provides districts with only the relevant changes that require board action for the subscribing district, taking into consideration all of the factors that follow, as well as the customization previously adopted by the board.

Does the change require formal adoption by the board?

Policy Language: YES. The School Code requires the board “to direct, through policy, the superintendent in his or her charge of the administration of the school district.”

Each PRESS sample policy has one or more of the following basic functions or purposes: ensure legal compliance, direct or authorize the superintendent or staff members, establish board processes, and/or provide information. The board policy manual is the voice of the board to the community. Anyone may propose new language or edits to existing board policy language, and the board must formally adopt the policy each time changes are made. When comparing a PRESS sample policy change to the district’s adopted policy, consider whether the text that has been changed in the PRESS sample policy is included in the board’s adopted policy. For example, an option or alternative from the footnotes of a PRESS sample policy may have been previously chosen instead.

Or, the language may not apply due to the individual circumstances in the district.

Legal Reference: YES. The list of legal references contains citations to State and federal statutes, implementing State and federal agency regulations, and/or important court decisions that govern the policy’s subject matter.

Cross Reference: NO. The list of cross references directs readers to other policies on related topics.

Contact Information: NO. Contact information found within the board policy manual, such as Nondiscrimination Coordinator and Complaint Manager names and phone numbers, must be updated as necessary by the superintendent or designee at any time without adoption by the board. The superintendent should ensure he or she notifies the board when the names and contact information change.

Footnote: NO. While footnotes are an important part of a PRESS sample policy and the value that a district receives in its subscription to PRESS, they must be removed before a board formally adopts it. Footnotes contain important information, such as legal citations, background, resources, best practices, and implementation guidance.

The intent of footnotes is to help school boards understand the policy.

Inclusion of footnotes may make a policy ambiguous, thereby harming its governance qualities. They are not intended to provide legal advice on specific situations. Districts should seek assistance from the board attorney before relying on information in a footnote because the law is always changing, exceptions frequently exist, multiple sources of law may be applicable to a specific question, and the facts of a situation often dictate the result. Footnotes may also contain alternatives to the language in the default policy or optional additional language for the board to consider adopting into the body of the policy.

Administrative Procedure: NO. Administrative procedures, which guide the implementation of policy, are developed by the superintendent, administrators, and/or other district staff members using the direction and authorization given by adopted board policy. They allow the superintendent and district staff the flexibility they need to keep the procedure current.

Exhibit: NO. Both board policies and administrative procedures may have related exhibits, which provide information and forms intended to be helpful to the understanding or implementation of either

Does the change require formal adoption by the board?

Change in...

Policy Language

YES.

Legal Reference

YES.

Cross Reference

NO.

Contact Information

NO.

Footnote

NO.

Administrative Procedure

NO.

Exhibit

NO.

a board policy or administrative procedure. Exhibits guiding the work of the Board should be dated for implementation by the board and included in the board policy manual; exhibits guiding the work of the staff should be dated for implementation by the administrative staff and included in the administrative procedures manual.

For more information about which updates may require board adoption for your district from particular PRESS update issues, view the free PRESS/PRESS Plus Issue webinars available in the Online Learning tab at iasb.com.  Kimberly Small is General Counsel for the Illinois Association of School Boards and Angie Powell is IASB Director of Policy Services.

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Feature Story

Fixing the educator shortage at the district level

School leaders can take concrete actions to help

By Sarah J. Kaka, Robert Mitchell, and Grant Clayton

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If you speak to any school district leader or principal about their daily challenges, many refer to the ongoing shortages of teachers, principals, and special service providers in their buildings. This ongoing shortage of qualified and interested educators creates considerable challenges for classroom leaders and school administrators in the U.S. and beyond. These concerns are global, as the United Nations estimates that 69 million new teachers will be needed by 2030. Shortages are particularly acute in areas considered hard-to-fill such as remote rural regions or in specific academic disciplines such as math, science, world language, and special education, according to a listing of national teachers shortage by the U.S. Department of Education.

A national shortfall of 112,000 teachers and educators is currently projected, with even more troubling news on the horizon, as enrollment in teacher preparation programs has seen a steep decline for nearly a decade. Understandably, young people and college students about to enter the workforce are less attracted to education roles that require long

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hours, increased mandates regarding accountability, negative public perception, and meager compensation that may not even meet cost-of-living expenses in some locations. With projected increases in the number of individuals eligible to retire, the decline in enrollment in teacher preparation programs, the continued increase in PK-12 student enrollment, and the ongoing problems with retaining new educators in a society with high career turnover, it is very difficult to be optimistic when we look at the future of public education in America.

To combat these seemingly insurmountable challenges, entrepreneurial states and school districts have developed creative and effective strategies to ensure that their students have a qualified educator in their classroom. Many of these solutions center on finding new and innovative ways to identify future educators to entice into a recruitment pipeline, or examining how best to prepare educators for a very challenging, and intrinsically rewarding, career in education.

It is a challenge that needs to be addressed at both the state/provincial

and national levels — but until a comprehensive solution is developed and resources allocated, it is essential that schools continue to proactively examine ways to build and sustain their educator talent pipelines. It all begins with the need to recruit tomorrow’s teachers and educators, and it frequently begins in a school’s backyard.

As of 2013, most teachers (88 percent) were being prepared in traditional avenues through institutions of higher education, as opposed to teacher residency or alternative pathways, according to the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. These students had an average GPA of 3.24; could use technology to plan, instruct, and assess; and spent 13 to 16 weeks in a student teaching/internship experience.

They were also overwhelmingly white (82 percent) and female (75 percent). It is therefore not surprising they choose to work in schools with students who look like them.

Contrast the suburban and urban schools — 57 percent of urban students are Black or Hispanic, compared to 37 percent of suburban students; 40 percent of urban students

receive free/reduced priced lunches compared to only 20 percent of students in suburban schools, according to research by K.O. Siwatu.

In 2012, students of color made up greater than 45 percent of the school-age population in America, but teachers of color were only 17.5 percent of the teacher workforce according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The resulting factor is a teaching workforce that is substantially less diverse than the students they are teaching, and most teacher preparation programs are not systematically recruiting and preparing large numbers of students to teach in urban areas with high percentages of non-white students.

“Grow-your-own” experiments and residency programs are on the rise and are attempting to fill this teacher pipeline issue. Once students are in the pipeline — from early field experiences and internships through student teaching — education programs and districts must better train the teachers for those contexts where many will ultimately find jobs.

Finally, the reality of retention and keeping teachers in the classroom is a hurdle that districts need to overcome; implementing teacher-leader models and additional means of support for teachers at all stages of their career are vital to maintaining consistency of teachers from year to year.

Recruiting teachers into the pipeline

Few communities outside of urban centers have individuals with degrees in specialized fields looking for a job. The belief that several chemistry teachers will suddenly

apply to fill a vacant position in a remote or hard-to-fill district is both antiquated and contrary to existing research that clearly illustrates the ongoing shortages in key academic disciplines. In response, more and more local districts are exploring grow-your-own approaches that tap into their future workforce — the secondary students within their own schools.

One of the first steps when considering growing the number of candidates that want to become teachers is to expose secondary students to the possibility of a career in education. Educators Rising is a non-profit organization for secondary students that has partnered with the NEA, AFT, and Phi Delta Kappa, to help them explore what it means to be a teacher and learn if the profession is a “good fit.” They do this by creating “meaningful learning opportunities throughout the school day” through a “curriculum [that] emphasizes fundamental teaching practices that are critical for high school students to develop as they take their first steps on the path to becoming accomplished professionals.” Programs such as this, and Teacher Cadet, whose goal “is to encourage academically talented, high-achieving, high school students with exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills to consider teaching as a career,” according to the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement, are immensely helpful in early identification of potential teacher candidates. In some cases such programs may lead to students earning both college and high school credit for their work simultaneously.

By identifying potential future educators and supporting local students, either through specific education career exploration initiatives or through scholarships for degree completion, schools and districts are identifying individuals as early as middle school to fill anticipated future needs. Districts are able to recruit and fill these future openings within their own student body —as students involved in these clubs and opportunities should be approached about the potential to attend a specific college or university (one that has partnered with the district to support this endeavor). They would then complete their licensing requirements through their college/university with the provision that they complete their student teaching back in their home district. Then, once they have their Bachelor’s degree and license in-hand, be guaranteed either a teaching position or a preferred interview within the district.

This recruitment can be augmented with loan forgiveness for teaching in a hard-to-staff district or content area. In these students, the district is recruiting a person who understands the local culture, has a demonstrated ability to succeed in the local educational environment and likely has familial ties in the area that may result in a higher likelihood of longterm retention.

A district partnership with a college/university teacher preparation program is an often-overlooked component of this undergraduate grow-your-own plan. Collaboration between the district, the candidate, and the institution of higher education is essential to ensure timely, and cost-effective, program completion.

July/August 2019  13

The institution’s role is to prepare educators who can be effective in the classroom as soon as possible, a task that is very difficult without local district involvement and feedback. Strategic collaboration is truly a win-win-win for the district, the institution, and the students — the district will have a specific pool from which to draw their teachers, and a knowledgeable higher education faculty from which to learn and grow professionally; the institution will see an increase in enrollment and a group of incoming students with prior knowledge of the profession; and the student may receive a tuition break/scholarship/ loan forgiveness, and a job upon completion of the program.

Another potential option that districts have is to partner with a college/university to put in place a residency program. This differs slightly from the undergraduate grow-yourown idea, as those in a residency program already have a bachelor’s degree but are seeking completion of requirements for licensure. In this residency model, teachers take advanced-level coursework while simultaneously completing a yearlong supervised internship where they work as paid apprentices to expert teachers, according to a report by the Learning Policy Institute entitled, “Solving the teacher shortage: How to attract and retain excellent educators.” This is patterned after the undergraduate grow-your-own

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14  Illinois School Board Journal

model in that the resident would be prepared in a district that would also hire them upon completion of the program. The district benefits from training the teacher in their specific policies, procedures, and philosophies, and would be hiring someone with enough knowledge and practice in the district to be considered a second-year teacher. And while it does require an investment on the district’s part to fund the salary of the apprentice/intern, this may be offset by higher levels of retention and savings in external recruiting of candidates.

Preparing them in the pipeline

Once students are admitted into a teacher preparation program, programs need to continue to be more innovative in the ways in which they prepare teachers, especially when preparing them to teach outside of their comfort zone. Schools are increasingly becoming more diverse with regards to K-12 student race/ ethnicity, but also in terms of socioeconomic status and social-emotional and behavioral needs. Teacher prep programs need to incorporate elements of how to be a culturally responsive teacher, best practices for working with diverse learners and focus coursework on multicultural education and differentiation. This strand of diversity needs to be woven intentionally through methods courses and field experiences — especially since we see our educators not being a reflection of the students in their classrooms.

Field experiences should start early and allow candidates to be in schools often, enabling them to teach in a variety of districts: urban, suburban, and rural, as well as charter

and private schools. This requires intentional placement in field experiences throughout their time in their program, not just student teaching.

To maximize these placement opportunities schools must leverage guided self-reflection and coaching opportunities — requiring candidates to identify their strengths and areas for improvement in different settings. In addition, programs should prepare candidates to work in non-traditional teaching environments, such as juvenile detention centers and online/ blended learning schools. By systematically exposing candidates to a multitude of teaching styles and settings, and allowing them to determine the type of educator they wish to be, graduates can clearly determine what school setting is the best fit for them.

Retaining teachers in the pipeline

Once we get teachers in the classroom, districts must work on finding ways to support them so that they will stay in the profession.

According to the Learning Policy Institute, the top four reasons that teachers leave the profession are inadequate preparation, lack of support for new teachers, challenging working conditions, and dissatisfaction with compensation. Three of these top four reasons can be addressed at the district or school level.

One starting point is to re-examine our thinking about the Baby Boomers already in our schools.

Traditionally, we have accepted that teachers retire and take accumulated knowledge with them. Boomers create a unique opportunity for school leaders on all levels. As a group, Boomers look different — they stayed in teaching longer and were less likely to leave when compared

to newly minted educators. For instance, about 8 percent of new teachers in 1988 left after the first year. By 2004 the percentage approached 12 percent. This loss of experience had a detrimental impact on student learning in many districts and this pattern continues today. In 1988 new teachers entered a profession where the modal level of experience was 15 years. By 2007, the mode was two years, with a quarter having less than five years, according to “Who will teach? Experience matters,” a publication of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future.

The average age of retirement for educators nationally is 56, much younger than many other highly educated professions. States, districts, and colleges of education are facing a unique opportunity to capitalize on the enormous costs associated with defined retirement benefit packages and massive numbers of new retirees. Losing these Baby Boomer educators to retirement is especially tough, as they currently hold leadership and mentorship roles that are vital in helping new teachers. The cost of losing these academic coaches, induction mentors and teachers on special assignment to retirements cannot be understated. A drive to identify experienced mentors who can help new teachers during the critical early years and likely increase retention should be undertaken by all school districts.

If all goes well, utilizing the talents of those closest to retirement can provide additional support for new teachers, and potentially retain the Boomers for a few years longer.

Intervention needed

The teacher shortage is real and growing. Thankfully there are a number of steps we can take to cushion the blow. First, we must be strategic in our recruitment efforts. Student success depends on getting strong candidates into all types of educator preparation programs, to graduate, and to be prepared to work in a variety of learning environments. Next, we must work to retain new teachers.

The constant turnover of new hires is inefficient, expensive, and does little toward creating strong programs, schools, and lasting connections with communities. Schools, districts, and colleges/universities must open the lines of communication early in order to entice strong candidates into the profession. Further, teacher preparation programs must strengthen their own requirements by exposing candidates to a multitude of different school settings, and districts need to harness the expertise of veteran teachers to support and help develop novice teachers. The teacher shortage crisis is real, and we must do all that we can to ensure PK-12 students are as insulated as much possible from the very real implications of it.  Reprinted with permission from American School Board Journal, August 2018. Copyright 2018 National School Boards Association. All rights reserved.

Sarah J. Kaka is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at Ohio Wesleyan University. Robert Mitchell is assistant professor of Leadership, Research, and Foundations and Grant Clayton is assistant professor at the College of Education at the University of Colorado. Resources and references for this article can be accessed at blog.iasb.com/p/journal-resources.html.

July/August 2019  15

Commentary

Teacher shortage in Illinois Time to look at existing, untapped human resources

By Hans A. Andrews

T

Teacher shortages across Illinois have been evolving over several years and have come under professional scrutiny and garnered much media attention. Similar teacher shortages are also making headlines in other states and nationally.

Illinois State Superintendent of Education Carmen I. Ayala, Ph.D., is seeking proposals on how to address a shortage of teachers that, as of this writing, numbers in the thousands. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is looking at options in changing requirements for obtaining a teaching certificate.

A statewide study of teacher shortages by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) in 2017 found the following: • 56 percent of the districts surveyed felt they had a minor problem with shortages.

• 22 percent felt they had a major problem with shortages.

• 65 percent indicated having fewer applicants than five years earlier.

• The most pronounced areas of shortages were bilingual

16  Illinois School Board Journal

and foreign language teachers and in recruitment of school psychologists.

• 53 percent of school districts reported a shortage of substitute teachers, more than in previous years.

In a follow-up survey in 2019, IARSS summarized the following and established a regional perspective: • 85 percent of school districts identified a major or minor problem with teacher shortages in their schools (up from 78 percent a year earlier).

• More than 60 percent identified serious problems with substitute teacher shortages • 89 percent of central Illinois districts and 92 percent of southern Illinois districts had issues with staffing their teaching positions with qualified candidates.

These shortage numbers were up from a year ago and have continued to grow significantly over the last five years in Illinois. The challenges are many in terms of how to overcome the shortages and have the greatest impact in reducing or eliminating them in the shortest time possible. It is time to begin thinking

out of the dead-end box that is the current state of the profession for individual teachers and is contributing to teacher shortages and teachers leaving Illinois schools, or leaving the profession after a very short time in the profession.

Improving school climate is a must if future teachers are going to be recruited to, and keep working in, the schools they commit to joining. Taking an honest look to identify these problems is the first important step: • A large percentage of the teaching profession is in an uproar over the high-stakes testing that has been pushing out much of the quality teaching that teachers are trained to provide.

• Merit pay has been instituted in many schools across Illinois and across the country, and has proven to change the teaching climate in terms of cooperation between teachers.

• Recognition for the great things accomplished by thousands of teachers goes wanting in Illinois and across the nation for most teachers.

• Fewer students are now enrolling in teacher education programs.

• Many highly qualified Illinois high school graduates are seeking college degrees outside of Illinois.

• There are high numbers of teachers leaving the teaching profession after a few years.

• The cost of a college degree has gone out of sight, and put a teaching career out of reach, for low-income families and minority students in many areas of Illinois.

These are some of the most glaring concerns that are known by the teaching profession, K-12 and higher education systems, and legislators throughout the state.

Merit pay fallout

A recent book by researcher and educator Daniel Koretz, titled The Testing Charade: Pretending to Make Schools Better, identified what has come to dominate everyday life in schools today: tests. His concerns center on how much time is now spent on testing preparation, shortening time in other school subjects. Koretz also reported on widespread “cheating” by teachers, administrators, and others who have succumbed to pressure to demonstrate test score improvements. In the arena of teacher evaluations, he suggests getting away from testing as the way to evaluate teachers for merit pay and decisions to retain or dismiss.

Koretz says these decisions should be accomplished by getting back to evaluating teachers on their teaching practices, by reverting to unscheduled

observations, where actual teaching is evaluated.

In summary, Koretz finds testing has replaced curriculum within the schools.

The following are testimonials from administrators and teachers on how merit pay has been eroding the cooperation and growth among teachers in schools where they have worked.

A high school principal in a high-performing school near Grand Rapids, Michigan, responded to how merit pay changed the instructional climate in his school: “The introduction of merit pay can ultimately slow or stop the process of school improvements.

Competition, through merit pay, leads the culture of a building, school, or school district in the opposite direction.”

He saw the idea of “recognition” providing an opportunity for growth for all teachers in a much more cooperative setting. A similar response came from a public school teacher who experienced both

recognition and merit pay programs in schools where she worked: “One of the reasons I went into teaching is because I knew I’d make the same as my male counterparts. The large factor I learned with merit pay is that it pits teachers against each other. How do I know? I worked in a district that issued merit pay. If my reading scores were higher than my colleagues I got more pay. This made us scramble not to take on special education students or physical or [otherwise health impaired] students, and we hoarded our ideas. It was awful!”

Another teacher working in an elementary school in Colorado submitted the following comments from her experiences in working in both merit pay and recognition climates in schools she had personally worked: “The first school I worked in had… pay for performance (merit) and there was virtually no collaboration and none July/August 2019  17

of the first-grade teachers got along at all or worked together. It was horrible!

Throughout my teaching career I have only worked in one school where there was any teacher recognition, and the morale, collaboration, and congeniality at that school was significantly higher than it was at the other two schools I taught.”

In a review of the literature on merit pay over a 35-to-40 year period, the author found that merit pay initiatives have failed in nearly every area of the country in which it has been tried.

Initiatives to consider

‘Grow your own’ initiative: Several school districts in Illinois and other states have approached lessening the teacher shortage through a Grow Your Own (GYO Teachers) program. The priorities in the GYO Illinois program are • Creating a pipeline of highly qualified teachers of color (GYO defines highly qualified as pedagogical and subject matter content mastery and a high degree of cultural competence).

• Supporting GYO teachers once they are in the classroom.

• Advocating to close the teacher/student diversity gap across Illinois.

This program was first funded by the Illinois legislature in 2004 to help create a pool of diverse, community-based teachers that could address shortages in the state’s highneed schools. The leadership of the program is stationed in Chicago.

18  Illinois School Board Journal

One student in the program testified, “The program has played a big part in motivating me to continue the road to obtaining my teaching degree no matter the obstacles.”

What forms do these programs take? Some are aimed at attracting high school students into the teaching profession; some attract para-educators; substitutes; and/ or local community members.

Providing financial assistance is one of the greatest needs of these programs. This is especially true in school districts with high poverty and high diversity in the schools.

Grow Your Own initiatives can do much to help diversify the Illinois teaching workforce and are worth exploring expanding throughout the state. Eddy Ramirez, writing for U.S. News and World Report in 2007, suggested that many of the best candidates for these programs already live in the neighborhoods where these teacher needs are greatest.

Educators Rising: As stated, the basis of the current shortage is insufficient supply: there are simply not enough future teachers in the pipeline to staff current and future vacancies. The greatest available, yet not fully prevailed upon, resources to fill this pipeline are the current high school students in Illinois classrooms.

What is needed is a viable, actionable, and scalable plan to recruit future teachers from the more than 330 public high schools throughout the state.

A plan of this nature was offered to the Illinois State Board of Education in the fall of 2018. The 2018 ISBE “Teacher of the Year,” Lindsey Jensen, an English teacher from Dwight THSD 230, organized a special ISBE meeting at her home

school. The focus of the meeting was to discuss a statewide “Educators Rising” program as a plan to increase interest in the teaching profession and attract more high school students to pursue careers as teachers.

Educators Rising is a division of Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International, the nation’s oldest and foremost professional teachers’ organization, which exists to “support teachers and school leaders by strengthening their interest in the profession through the entire arc of their career.” Educators Rising specifically focuses on attracting and recruiting future educators.

It offers a free national membership to more than 2,400 high schools throughout the country which sponsor a “future teachers club.” These clubs are extra-curricular organizations lead by a faculty advisor, and their purpose is to help high school students explore teaching.

Educators Rising has a website rich in resources, and it regularly promotes relevant events to the affiliate clubs, such as celebrating “Teacher Appreciation Week” each May. Additionally, individual club activities typically include teacher shadowing, teachers’ panels, mini-teaching experiences, and field trips to elementary schools, all designed to nurture students’ interest in the profession and help them begin to develop knowledge and skills needed to be successful educators.

Present at this meeting were representatives from the College of Education and Human Performance of Aurora University to discuss their successful Educators Rising model. It is a university-centered model wherein 16 public high schools partner with AU to promote interest in the teaching profession.

All 16 high schools are Educators Rising affiliates, as is the University.

The partnership provides additional and unique opportunities of career exploration for the high school students. For example, the University recently hosted the first “Educators Rising Moment Competition,” a nationally-recognized activity during which students give a brief speech describing their unique experience in choosing to become teachers.

For the past 10 years, the partnership has recorded 75 teacher candidates. If one Educators Rising program can produce that many teachers with 16 schools, consider what a successful statewide program could potentially produce.

Given the success of the current model and its potential for scalability, Jensen submitted a formal funding request to ISBE seeking $325,000 for a new, statewide, university-centered Educators Rising program. Since that time, a new governor and state superintendent have taken office. The author hopes that this viable proposal will not be lost in the transition.

Community colleges as contributor/partner: Another available, yet mostly un-prevailed upon, human resource for future teachers is the large and richly diverse student population in the state’s community colleges. These colleges presently provide the first two years of a baccalaureate degree that transfers to almost every public college and university and most private colleges and universities.

Coordination between entities was improved in the 1990s so that transfer between these institutions would be seamless.

Community colleges offer opportunities each year to thousands of students graduating from secondary schools and adults wishing to obtain college degrees after taking

in “Fast Facts 2019,” shows 23,216 baccalaureate degrees in 130 public and 53 independent community colleges during 2016-2017. The AACC report also listed 86 community col-

Providing financial assistance is one of the greatest needs ... especially in school districts with high poverty and high diversity in the schools. time out to work or to raise families.

Many are location-bound in terms of family commitments and financial restrictions within their families.

Community colleges, therefore, provide low-cost tuition and fees and closeness to most of their students living at home. They provide options, such as taking college courses to community schools or other facilities in many throughout the state. College and university internet courses now provide options for students who can obtain a number of college credit hours. The dual-credit options for secondary school students allow many students to obtain college coursework prior to high school graduation.

Community colleges have been allowed to move into baccalaureate degrees preparation as a way to address economic and labor market needs in areas of Illinois where professional personnel shortages have been identified. For example, students can take courses towards becoming a baccalaureate degree nurse (BSN) in areas of states where BSNs are in short supply and in high demand.

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC),

leges in 16 states offering bachelor’s degrees.

Considerations for utilizing community colleges in Illinois to start offering teacher bachelor degrees would include working closely with and collaborating with the University of Illinois and other state universities and private colleges and universities.

These colleges have a network approved through the state agencies and senior colleges in Illinois to offer several baccalaureate degree programs in areas that the state has identified as needing professionals in professional areas that cannot be completely satisfied through the existing state or private colleges.

There are many potential students who can now benefit from community colleges now being designated by these same state agencies as baccalaureate degree eligible for elementary and secondary school and community college teachers in subject areas unable to be covered with the shortage of teachers in Illinois.

These movements can immediately start closing the teacher shortage in Illinois. Can it be done with 20, 25, or 30 of the 48 community colleges? Planners July/August 2019  19

can settle on a reasonable number depending on where the greatest needs of the state exist in shortages now and adapt programs to new areas of the state as future teacher shortage needs are identified.

Summary and recommendations

To significantly “budge” the numbers of minority faculty, staff, and teachers to fill the shortages in various academic areas, and develop Illinois’ future teachers, more candidates must be made available. A different human resource management strategy is needed.

Both K-12 schools and community colleges have opportunities now to “grow their own” future teachers by devising strategies to enlist

future faculty and staff members.

This calls for a situation similar to talent acquisition in Major League Baseball. Enticing excellent players from the existing talent pool to stay in the “big leagues” and developing more teachers through a local “farm team” such as dual-credit offerings and/or community colleges are starting points.

Improving school climate is a must if future teachers are going to be recruited and kept working in the schools they commit to joining. If K-12 schools commit to and find funding sources to assist those students with the greatest financial need, and commit to developing talented students into teachers, they could find students returning to

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20  Illinois School Board Journal

the home school districts that have recruited and supported them.

A statewide program of “future teachers” clubs affiliated with Educators Rising can be implemented relatively quickly and inexpensively.

It will do much to create a formal pool of future teachers drawn from the richly diverse population of the state’s high schools. Such a proposal has the potential to not only supply a sufficient number of teacher candidates to meet the shortage but also supply a more diverse population of candidates better-suited to address the needs of special education and bilingual and English-Language Learning students.

This challenge can be successfully addressed. However, it will require more than better recruitment efforts. It will require the vision and leadership of board members, teachers, and administrators at all levels of the K-12 system, community colleges, and senior universities and colleges. Associations such as the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Community College Trustees, and the Illinois Community College Board, to name a few, will have major support roles to play.

Can the teacher shortage in Illinois — a major challenge and expanding problem­­— be alleviated in the short run? The answer is “yes” but it needs to be urgently and creatively addressed now.  Hans A. Andrews is past president and currently Distinguished Fellow in Community College Leadership at Olney Central College. He is president of Matilda Press. Resources and references for this article can be accessed at blog.iasb.com/p/journalresources.html.

Feature Story

Illinois teacher shortage and the effect on English learners

By Karen Garibay-Mulattieri and Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro

I

Issues regarding the Illinois teacher shortage are receiving increasing public attention. A long-standing concern within the teacher shortage focuses on bilingual endorsed educators — those that can demonstrate fluency in a language other than English.

Longitudinal research contends that support of a child’s home language development over time not only builds English proficiency, but also provides enduring positive effects on their academic achievement. By valuing the skills and content knowledge students possess in their home language, the educational focus moves away from remediating students’ English language skills.

English Learners (ELs) who are placed with bilingual educators and receive supports in their home language are more likely to demonstrate long-term cognitive flexibility, higher high school graduation rates, and increased likelihood of enrolling in post-secondary institutions, according to Students at the Center: Deeper Learning Research Series. Dual-language immersion programs more specifically, where both the home language and English are nurtured over the long-term, are gaining significant popularity across the country due to their strong academic outcomes and the marketable benefit of being

bilingual and biliterate in a diversifying global economy.

As the number of ELs grows throughout the state and multilingualism is increasingly viewed as an asset for Illinois students, addressing the bilingual teacher shortage becomes an imperative. This article provides an overview of the state’s bilingual teacher shortage, changing student demographics, and lessons learned from a district concerning ways to grow a future educator pipeline that is responsive to language and cultural diversity.

Illinois teacher shortage

In 2018, the Illinois State Board of Education published a report, “Teach Illinois, Strong Teachers, Strong Classrooms,” which confirmed what school leaders around the state are confronting. The report contends, “While experience, research and intuition tell us that teachers are the cornerstone of

successful education, and in turn a thriving economy and healthy civic community,” the number of young people entering the teaching profession is dwindling. Therefore, urban, downstate and rural districts are all struggling to fill openings with qualified licensed teachers.

A compounding factor is that the teacher workforce does not represent the student population, despite many studies and strategies implemented by Illinois legislators.

The Illinois student population is growing increasingly diverse, while the teacher workforce remains largely white and female. The situation becomes critical when we consider the subgroup of ELs, whose success depends on specialized instruction in English and the home language.

In a response to the bilingual teacher shortage, some school districts have implemented innovative strategies to grow their own bilingual teachers. Some have career training July/August 2019  21

programs in high school, which incentivize young people to enter education. Others have collaborations with universities to allow students to enroll immediately after high school obtain incentives to pursue educational licensure. Many school districts collaborate with universities to offer coursework so their teachers can obtain the ESL/bilingual endorsement.

In addition, given the vast growth of young ELs in new areas of the state, there are instances when these students spend some time with general education teachers. Given this situation, it is imperative that all educators build their knowledge and skills regarding how to best support this

population. Districts have brought in specialized training in sheltered instruction, otherwise known as Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol (SIOP). This training provides best practices in how to make instruction in English comprehensible through the use of images, role-play, interactive groupings, etc.

Illinois is in great need of • Increasing the number of general educators and leaders to get ESL endorsements.

These teachers will then have the knowledge and skills to support second language acquisition, although they are not bilingual; and • Fostering multiple pathways to boost the number

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22  Illinois School Board Journal

of educators with the bilingual endorsement. These educators can pass a target language test to demonstrate their bilingual skill set.

Changing demographics and how schools are affected

Within Illinois, one in four children has at least one foreign-born parent and 88 percent of children born to immigrants in the state are U.S. citizens, according to the Census American Community Survey of 2018. According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, between 2005 and 2016 both the African-American and white student populations declined, by 19 and 14 percent respectively.

The Latino student population, in turn, grew by 44 percent.

A trend within this shift is the number of linguistic and culturally diverse students who reside throughout the state. One in four Illinois children speaks a language other than English in their home, according to KIDS Count data. Many of these students identify as ELs, now representing close to one in ten students statewide, 12 percent according to the Illinois Report Card.

According to a Teach Illinois Report, 12 percent of all teacher vacancies across the state were in the area of bilingual education.

Licensed bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL)-endorsed teachers are needed to serve students speaking 136 different languages.

The majority of these ELs are young students in preschool through third grade, and they are increasingly moving to districts outside of Chicago. In 2018, the Latino Policy

Forum conducted a survey of EL program directors during a statewide bilingual education conference.

Respondents indicated that the grand majority (93 percent) had experienced a bilingual/ESL teacher shortage within the past three years.

The shortage was mostly concentrated within bilingual preschool (54 percent) and kindergarten through fifth grade (80 percent). While there is a need for ESL across grade spans, it is much less pronounced than the bilingual shortage. Recruiting bilingual teachers is challenging due to the need for an advanced command of a second language whereby the teacher can actually deliver advanced academic content in a language other than English.

When vacancies occur, respondents indicated the amount of time it typically takes to fill a position.

The range of time can be anywhere between 0-3 months (37 percent); 4-6 months (28 percent), one year (13 percent) and more than one year (17 percent). Of those program directors who reported needing more than one year to fill a position, the reason stated was largely due to requirements for fluency in low-incident languages (i.e. other than Spanish). After Spanish (76 percent), the other most commonly spoken languages are Arabic (4 percent), Polish (3 percent), Urdu (2 percent), and Pilipino (1 percent), according to information provided by ISBE. Imagine having open teaching positions for a priority group of students that cannot be filled for over a year.

Legislative and programmatic solutions

The EL program directors surveyed listed several barriers they

felt were impacting potential teacher candidates. These challenges included prerequisites to teacher preparation programs, such as tests of basic skills. A look at various research sources, however, finds that the link between teacher performance on standardized exams with teacher effectiveness in the classroom is not sufficiently substantiated. The directors felt strongly that ISBE should broaden the menu of criterion for admittance into teacher preparation programs to include: • ACT and/or SAT scores demonstrating college readiness for those who have not received a bachelor’s degree, • Bachelor’s degree in lieu of testing requirements, or • Portfolio assessment for basic skills.

They also felt the General Assembly should incentivize institutes of higher education to recruit and support linguistically and culturally diverse teacher candidates.

In order to enhance the diversity of the teacher workforce and to ensure an adequate pipeline, students must complete degrees in a timely manner. Often the desired candidates face personal challenges that might be overcome by providing the following supports: • Offer improved student advisement so that candidates graduate on time.

• Improve financial aid and scholarships to these teacher candidates.

• As institutes of higher education struggle with finding faculty with the bilingual/ ESL skill set, consider

partnering with school districts to find qualified adjunct faculty.

These substantive changes would increase opportunities for more minority candidates to complete four-year college degrees and to diversify the teacher workforce.

Innovative solutions

Illinois State University (ISU) has partnered with Elgin-based School District U-46 since 2001 as a means to grow more bilingual/ ESL endorsed teachers. The district was rapidly expanding its dual-language programs and the demand for licensed bilingual teachers was increasing. With an overarching goal of preparing 100 qualified educators to serve ELs, they began a specialized program in 2012 comprised of five unique strands (see table next page).

Overall, many staff became better prepared to support bilingual students in the dual-language program, which guaranteed continuous specialized language instruction throughout the schools. What can we learn from these efforts?

• Create district/university partnerships: At the beginning of the relationship it is important for the districts to state their specific needs.

In this way the Institute of Higher Education (IHE) can look for ways to structure the programs so that they are mutually beneficial.

• Form a steering committee comprised of faculty from the IHE, the director of programs for English Learners, an elementary school principal, and teacher leaders July/August 2019  23

from the school district.

This committee should work to foster meaningful engagement as a professional learning community during the project.

• Each partner must make a long-term commitment to collaboration that prepares individuals (administrators, teachers, etc.) to serve the EL population.

• Identify, recruit, and enroll bilingual paraprofessionals, community leaders, and school volunteers in learning opportunities as a joint effort between the district and the IHE. Partnerships, such as the one shared by ISU and Elgin U-46, provide ways in which to experience success in supporting EL students, the teaching profession, and the programs offered by each partner.

Often in the challenges schools face there are hidden opportunities to improve the quality of life for many groups of people. By focusing on the recruitment of a diversified teacher workforce, schools increase college completion and career earnings for their people residing in their communities. They also build stronger school environments, which are more flexible and adaptable to meeting students’ needs, thereby ensuring students’ academic success. The original challenge, while somewhat daunting at first, contains within it the promise of a brighter future for all concerned.  Karen Garibay-Mulattieri and Rebecca Vonderlack-Navarro, Ph.D., are managers of Education Policy and Research at the Chicago-based Latino Policy Forum. Resources and references for this article can be accessed at https:// blog.iasb.com/p/journal-resources.html.

2012 Program Initiatives Creating a learning community of faculty and mentor teachers; providing a coordinator to organize programs off-campus.

Enhancing the traditional teacher preparation program.

This article is adapted from the upcoming Illinois English Learner Handbook for School Leaders, a comprehensive handbook designed to assist local communities in understanding the unique needs of ELs and how research-based best practice can inform the creation of a local vision that is equitable and supports all students. The handbook is a collaborative effort between the Latino Policy Forum, Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Principals Association, and Illinois Association of School Administrators. The handbook is comprehensive and tailored for two audiences. First, school board members and lawmakers charged with drafting policy and appropriate allocation of resources. At the same time, the handbook offers to administrators and EL directors a detailed overview of how a vision might be implemented, funded, and monitored. The Illinois English Learner Handbook for School Leaders is expected to be published in Fall 2019.

IHE and District Collaborations Initially, the district and ISU formed a steering committee, which led to a learning community.

Changed the teacher preparation program of traditional undergrad students by placing them in dual-language settings for their observation and student teaching experience. This provided teacher candidates a greater understanding of the instructional settings within the district.

Offering ESL endorsements to existing staff.

Offered on-site graduate courses to allow existing staff to pursue additional endorsements.

Implementing a master’s degree program to provisionally licensed bilingual teachers.

Teachers holding a bilingual provisional license were afforded opportunities to complete masters’ degree courses leading to licensure and bilingual endorsements.

Providing a bachelor’s degree program leading to teacher licensure for paraprofessionals.

Identified and recruited bilingual paraprofessionals interested in pursuing a BA in education with the bilingual endorsement. The project prepared 26 bilingual paraprofessionals, already working in the district, to become licensed, endorsed bilingual teachers.

24  Illinois School Board Journal

Commentary

Exploring options

By Jim Rosborg

W

What still needs to be done to solve the teacher shortage problem? The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the state legislature made a great effort this past spring session, especially with removing the basic skills requirement. Sad to say, these efforts are not enough. There are other issues that need to be addressed before we see an increase in the numbers of people wishing to enter the classroom. Let’s explore a few. a. Lower the retirement age from 67 to 62 for Tier 2 and Tier 3 teachers. Sixty-seven is too high, especially because adjoining states, including Missouri, allow full retirement as early as 53 years old. This, perceived poor pay, retirement incentives, working conditions, and teacher blaming are all issues contributing to fewer teacher candidates in Illinois and more students attending college out-ofstate. Illinois is second only to New Jersey in the number of high school seniors who attend out-of-state colleges and universities. b. Offer “Grow Your Own” incentives. These programs provide opportunities for current high school graduates in the local community to come back and teach in their home districts. This

“Grow Your Own” plan should also include a pipeline for paraprofessionals to become certified teachers.

Accomplishing this is a matter of lessening restrictions that currently force paraprofessionals to quit their jobs to student teach. c. Start “Future Teachers of America” clubs in high schools. These programs

f. Lessen restrictions on middle school, industrial technology, and elementary licensure.

To be specific, middle school endorsement should return back to the same requirement as prior to January 31, 2018. If not, I feel we will see a shortage in five years. Kindergarten should be placed back with the elementary licensure, as this non-re-

Perceived poor pay, retirement incentives, working conditions, and teacher blaming are all issues contributing to fewer teacher candidates in Illinois. were popular in the 1960s and worked to raise the interest in public education. d. Offer tuition scholarships to teacher education candidates. These state scholarships provided individuals such as myself the ability to attend college. The requirement was that I had to make a five-year commitment to teach in the state upon licensure. e. Provide hiring bonuses to high teacher shortage positions: math, science, industrial technology, special education, and English as a second language.

searched change has caused placement problems in many districts. Alternative certificates should be offered in the area of industrial technology. g. Base educational decisions on research, not power political groups or educational money foundations. h. Illinois education is too over-regulated. Form a study group to study this.

Regulate for success not failure.Establish achievable benchmarks. For example, ISBE recently set the meets/ exceeds benchmark on the Continued on page 28

July/August 2019 • 25

ICYMI

Advisory, enrichment, interventions to meet SEL need

By Lela Majstorovic Moderator: James Gay, Superintendent, CHSD 230 (Orland Park). Panelists: Richard Nogal, Board President; Bob Nolting, Principal, Andrew High School; Mary Pat Carr, Head Dean, Stagg High School; Meredith Sheriff, Guidance Director, Sandburg High School, CHSD 230 (Orland Park).

I

In this panel presentation at the 2018 Joint Annual Conference, representatives from Orland Park-based CHSD 230 discussed their advisory, enrichment, and intervention program, which offers 30-minute blocks in the school day at which students can address socio and emotional learning (SEL) needs. On advisory days, students meet with an assigned group of classmates and teacher, who loops with them every year of high school. On days when this time is set aside for enrichment and intervention, students are empowered to schedule the time with their teachers to meet and either catch up with their school work or take an enrichment class.

CHSD 230 represents nine different municipalities near and

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) is a feature in Journal, sharing panel reports from the 2018 Joint Annual Conference.

Reporters are participants in the Educational Administration Intern program.

ICYMI

26  Illinois School Board Journal

including the suburb of Orland Park. It is the eighth-largest district in the state and covers 72 square miles. The district’s three high schools — Andrew, Sandburg, and Stagg — enroll approximately 7,500 students.

In 2013, the administrative team strongly recommended advisory to the Board of Education to address the evolving academic and SEL needs of students. At that time, the district focus was on rigor, relevance, and relationships as well as equity. The belief was that if they increased the rigor, then students needed an opportunity to build connections with adults during the day.

The goal was for each student to have a strong relationship with at least one adult in their school.

Emphasis was placed on allowing this to occur through an advisory model within the existing school day. Opportunities existed for such involvement before and after school. A school-day advisory model was developed to reduce the barrier for students who might not be able to attend outside of school hours.

First, an advisory pilot was implemented throughout each of the district’s three high schools. At

the same time, a school-day committee was formed during contract negotiations. The committee wanted to add a dedicated 35-minute program during the school day.

The union was concerned about the additional prep time and, as a result of the negotiations, a compromise was reached that allowed for the advisory model as long as teachers received compensation through an annual stipend. They also asked that intervention be embedded into this time, which the administration agreed upon.

The final compromise was to allow teachers to have a planning time for advisory which was achieved by substituting a portion of their lunch supervision duties for planning time.

The program has been evaluated every year since its implementation in 2013 as a part of the district’s school improvement process. The superintendent reports monthly data to the board. Some of the indicators that are reported are • Advanced Placement Enrollment increase from 45 to 53 percent • Remedial courses reduced from 16 to 2.3 percent • 91 percent of students showed college persistence

• A decrease in the percentage of students receiving Ds and Fs Since then, the district representatives believe that they have fostered a positive community among their students and teachers.

One panelist, Bob Nolting, reported that the advisory model has been the most successful and most impactful initiative that he has seen in his 10 years as principal at Andrews High School. He stressed the importance of communication and engagement with all stakeholder groups including students, teachers, and parents.

It required a change in start time from 8:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., which

meant there were implications for all stakeholders across the board. Because of that, a strong communication plan was initiated throughout the district.

Initially, intervention was the easiest part to implement. Generally, all teachers were able to provide intervention. The advisory implementation was more difficult.

Teachers were asked to teach content outside of their typical content area. It has taken six years to refine the implementation of the advisory curriculum and it has really taken hold in the past two years. The enrichment opportunity was also a challenge in the beginning. The biggest impact of the enrichment work has been the implication on

IASB — A nationwide search with Illinois experience • IASB works with the National Affiliation of Superintendent Searchers (NASS), with over 110 consultants located in 40 states • NASS annually assists hundreds of districts and school boards with superintendent and other administrative searches • Illinois searches with IASB include serving 239 school districts in 72 different counties, from 2009-2018 Contact IASB, your local search professional, to find out more: 217/528-9688 or 630/629-3776, ext. 1217, www.iasb.com/executive

elective courses that are offered across all three high schools.

Logistically, students schedule their own time during intervention and enrichment time to get support. Students who need additional support with scheduling get additional guidance. In order for this model to run efficiently, the district developed the following model: In a typical fiveday week, one day is for advisory, three days are for intervention/ enrichment, and one day is a late start day where neither advisory nor intervention/enrichment is offered. Students self-select their intervention/enrichment and do one of the following: independent/group work (chosen by 60 percent), guided assistance/ make-up (30 percent), or academic intervention with a teacher (10 percent). The students who are in need of academic intervention are assigned to it and are required to attend.

Overall, CHSD 230 has seen the significant impact that this model has brought for their students and teachers, both quantitatively in student outcomes but also qualitatively in the strong relationships and bonds that have been formed. While this has been an iterative process, with much refinement occurring over the past six years, district stakeholders have seen positive results for all involved.  Lela Majstorovic is assistant superintendent of Secondary Schools Instruction and Equity for Elginbased School District U-46 and was a participant in the Educational Administration Intern program.

July/August 2019  27

Commentary

Exploring options Continued from page 25

SAT state test 50 points higher than the number established by the College Board as the benchmark for the college ready student. The College Board based its decision of 50 years of research. Another example — the recent Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) guidelines sets up many schools in Illinois to be perceived as failures; many of these schools are excellent schools with fine instruction. i. Illinois needs to change its attitude towards the education profession to celebrate the success of professional educators. For example, in 1983, the Illinois Master Teacher Program set up the award winners to be mentors for other teachers. But funding never took place to implement this outstanding idea for teacher development and improvement. Likewise, teacher mentor and induction programs are needed, but have not been previously funded for successful implementation. The ideas have been put forth, but never implemented in a strategic manner that is fully funded for success.

Issues focused on the legislature with ISBE support: a. Encourage universities to limit future increases in tuition to assist minority and overall student 28  Illinois School Board Journal

enrollment. Open the door for the financially challenged student. Universities across the state have been raising tuition at approximately 7 percent a year.

The higher the tuition, the fewer candidates we have. b. Set up university study commissions to evaluate general education classes offered at the freshman and sophomore level. Too many students drop out because of the lack of interest in the general education classes. c. Continue to look at ways to raise teacher’s salaries and provide state funding for the additional costs placed on school districts. The recent raising of minimum teacher salaries is a good step for the teacher shortage challenge, but only if the state provides sufficient funds to school districts

that are impacted by this change. d. Re-institute capital development funds to enhance school facilities. The bill has been passed. Now implement the process without delay. Not only does capital development provide more jobs in Illinois, it helps provide the educational setting to encourage students get in to the profession.

Editor’s note: As of this writing, SB1952, removing the requirement of the passage of a test of basic skills for teacher licensure, had passed both houses of the state legislature and was pending the governor’s signature. 

Jim Rosborg, Ph.D., is Director of the Masters in Education program at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. He is also an author and a former public school superintendent in Illinois.

Practical PR

Turning stakeholders into supporters

By IASB Staff

A

At the turn of the last century, the Journal published this Practical PR column encouraging school districts to reach out to local stakeholders.

Because this was before social media, automated communications systems, and laptops in backpacks, there’s a retro feel to the info, but the advice is as sound today as it was in the summer of 1999.

The “stakeholders” in your school district include everyone from teachers, administrators, and other staff, to students, parents, community leaders, and business people. To turn stakeholders into school supporters, make them feel like an important and appreciated part of the school team.

When a study by George Mason University asked employees to rank what they wanted most from their jobs, first on the list of responses was “full appreciation for work done.”

Ranked second was “feeling part of the decision-making process,” or being informed. “Good wages” ranked fifth.

There are many ways to say “thank you,” or “we value your contribution,” or “you’re important.”

Here are a few, culled from a number of PR books and business primers.

Appreciation days, featuring an assembly, a special luncheon, or a community-wide event, can say a special “thank you” to teachers and other staff, students, parents,

community leaders, school volunteers, business people, or anyone else who has made a contribution to your school.

Certificates and plaques are relatively inexpensive and are a tangible way to express appreciation. Issue “Partners in Education” certificates to volunteers or to area businesses that donate money, in-kind services, or employees to schools. Recognize staff and volunteers for years of service to the school district. Recognize bus drivers for accident-free service.

Create journalism awards for local news media and reporters who provide fair and accurate coverage.

Publicize accomplishments.

Encourage local newspapers to publish honor rolls and news of student and staff achievements. Also include this information in the school district’s internal and community newsletters, on bulletin boards, and in student newspapers.

Alert news media to outstanding volunteers, contributors, and school supporters.

Nothing beats direct contact as a way to praise, thank, and recognize people. School officials may set aside time periodically to walk through the building and give appropriate “pats on the back” to staff. Teachers can make good news calls to parents about their children’s accomplishments, as well as calls about concerns. The school

board can honor contributors at meetings, or a designated member may make a phone call or visit.

Encourage feedback and suggestions, and make sure they get a response. This could include suggestion boxes for staff, students or parents, and time for questions and answers at meetings. Publicly acknowledge the individuals who make suggestions and the improvements that result.

Go the extra mile to help people be comfortable. Make sure new employees and new volunteers receive adequate training, orientation, and introductions to staff. Offer orientation sessions and tours for parents or students who have recently moved into the community.

Finally, provide as many ways as possible to reward students for a job well done, whether the accomplishment is academic, athletic, or service to the community. Parents feel honored when their children are honored, and they are more likely to hold a favorable attitude about their child’s school if their child is doing well and getting praise.  Reprinted from the September/ October 1999 issue of The Illinois School Board Journal. This piece was developed as part of a school public relations service then offered

by IASB.

July/August 2019  29

Service Associates Directory Appraisal Services INDUSTRIAL APPRAISAL COMPANY Building and fixed asset appraisals for insurance and accounting purposes. Oak Brook 630/575-0280

Architects/Engineers ARCON ASSOCIATES, INC. Full service firm specializing in educational facilities with services that include architecture, construction management, roof and masonry consulting, landscape architecture, and environmental consulting. Lombard 630/495-1900; www.arconassoc.com; rpcozzi@arconassoc.com BERG ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS, LTD. Consulting engineers.

Schaumburg 847/352-4500; www.berg-eng.com BLDD ARCHITECTS, INC. Architectural and engineering services for schools. Decatur 217/429-5105; Champaign 217/356-9606; Bloomington 309/828-5025; Chicago 312/829-1987 CANNONDESIGN Architecture, interiors, engineering, consulting. Chicago 312/332-9600; www.cannondesign.com; sbrodsky@cannondesign.com CORDOGAN CLARK & ASSOCIATES Architects and engineers.

Aurora 630/896-4678; www.cordoganclark.com; rmont@cordogan clark.com DEWBERRY ARCHITECTS INC. Architects, planners, landscape architecture, and engineers.

Peoria 309/282-8000; Elgin 847/695-5840 DLA ARCHITECTS, LTD. Architects specializing in preK-12 educational design, including a full range of architectural services, assessments, planning, feasibility studies, new construction, additions, remodeling, O&M and owner’s rep services.

Itasca 847/742-4063; www.dla-ltd.com; info@dla-ltd.com DLR GROUP Educational facility design and master planning. Chicago 312/382-9980; dlrgroup.com; mengelhardt@dlrgoup.com

30  Illinois School Board Journal

ERIKSSON ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES, LTD. Consulting civil engineers and planners.

Grayslake 847/223-4804; Chicago 312/463-0551; Mokena 708/614-9720; www.eea-ltd.com; geriksson@eea-ltd.com FGM ARCHITECTS, INC. Architects. Chicago 312/942-8461; Oak Brook 630/574-8300; O’Fallon 618/624-3364; St. Louis 314/439-1601; www.fgmarchitects.com

LEGAT ARCHITECTS, INC. Architectural and educational planners who specialize in creating effective student learning environments. Gurnee 847/622-3535; Oak Brook 630/990-3535; Chicago 312/258-9595; www.legat.com PCM+DESIGN ARCHITECTS Provide a full range of architectural services including facility and feasibility studies, architectural design, construction consulting and related services.

East Peoria 309/694-5012; www.PCMPLUSD.com

THE GARLAND COMPANY Complete building envelope solutions to extend the life of existing building assets (walls, roofing, waterproofing, sealants, and floors) Facility Asset Management programs and U.S. Communities Vendor.

Cleveland, Ohio 815/922-1376; www.garlandco.com

PERFORMANCE SERVICES, INC. An integrated design and delivery engineering company serving the design and construction facility needs of K-12 schools. Schaumburg 847/466-7220

GREENASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture/construction services.

Deerfield 847/317-0852, Pewaukee, Wisconsin 262/746-125

RICHARD L. JOHNSON ASSOCIATES, INC. Architecture, educational planning.

Rockford 815/398-1231; www.rljarch.com

HEALY, BENDER & ASSOCIATES, INC. Archi­tects/planners.

Naperville 630/904-4300; www.healybender.com; dpatton@healybender.com

SARTI ARCHITECTURAL GROUP, INC. Architecture, engineering, life safety consulting, interior design, and asbestos consultants. Springfield 217/585-9111

HURST-ROSCHE, INC. Architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design. Hillsboro 217/532-3959; East St. Louis 618/398-0890; Marion 618/998-0075; Springfield 217/787-1199; dpool@hurst-rosche.com JMA ARCHITECTS Full service professional design firm specializing in K-12 educational design, construction management, strategic/master planning, health/life safety compliance, building commissioning, and interior space design. South Holland 708/339-3900; www.jmaarchitects.com; allison@jmaarchitects.com KLUBER ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS Building design professionals specializing in architecture, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and fire protection engineers. Batavia 630/406-1213 LARSON & DARBY GROUP Architecture, engineering, interior design, and technology. Rockford 815/484-0739; St. Charles 630/444-2112; www.larsondarby.com; snelson@larsondarby.com

PERKINS+WILL Architects. Chicago 312/755-0770

STR PARTNERS Architectural, interior design, planning, cost estimating, and building enclosure/ roofing consulting.

Chicago 312/464-1444 TRIA ARCHITECTURE An architectural planning and interior design firm that provides services primarily to school districts in the Chicagoland area with an emphasis on service to their clients, and their communities.

Burr Ridge 630/455-4500 WIGHT & COMPANY For over 77 years, Wight & Company has provided design and construction services for the built environment. As a pioneer of integrated Design & Delivery, we’ve worked with our clients to create exceptional, enduring buildings and spaces that enrich people’s lives and enhance the environment; Darien 630/969-7000; www.wightco.com; bpaulsen@wightco.com WM. B. ITTNER, INC. Full service architectural firm serving the educational community since 1899.

Fairview Heights 618/624-2080

WOLD ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS Specializing in Pre-K-12 educational design including master planning, sustainable design, architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, quality review, cost estimation and management. Palatine 847/241-6100

Building Construction CORE CONSTRUCTION Professional construction management, design-build, and general contracting services. Morton 309/266-9768; COREconstruction.com F. H. PASCHEN A general/construction manager with extensive experience in new construction and renovation of educational and institutional facilities in the public/private sectors. Chicago 773/444-1525-3535; www.fhpaschen.com FREDERICK QUINN CORPORATION Construction management and general contracting. Addison 630/628-8500; www.fquinncorp.com HOLLAND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, INC. Full service construction management and general contracting firm specializing in education facilities.

Swansea 618/277-8870 NICHOLAS & ASSOCIATES, INC. Construction management, general contracting, design and build.

Mt. Prospect 847/394-6200 info@nicholasquality.com PEPPER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Construction management and general contracting services.

Barrington 847/381-2760 www.pepperconstruction; jripsky@pepperconstruction.com POETTKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY Specializing in construction management, design/build, construction consulting services, and energy solutions for education clients. Breese 618/526-7213; www.poettkerconstruction.com RUSSELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. Russell provides successful, knowledgeable construction management and contracting services in the PreK-12 market from concept to completion and continuing care for your facility needs.

Davenport, Iowa 563/459-4600

S.M. WILSON & CO. Provides construction management and general construction services to education, healthcare, commercial, retail, and industrial clients.

St. Louis 314/645-9595; www.smwilson.com; judd.presley@smwilson.com TRANE HVAC company specializing in design, build, and retrofit.

Willowbrook 630/734-6033

Computer Software, Supplies, Services COMPUTER INFORMATION CONCEPTS, INC. Infinite Campus student information System and Finance Suite, and Tableau Data Visualization/Analytics.

Greeley, Colorado 312/995-3342 SONITROL GREAT LAKES Verified electronic security.

Northbrook 847/205-0670; www.sonitrolverified.com

IASB Service Associates are businesses which offer school‑related products and services and which have earned favorable repu­tations for quality and integrity. Only after careful screening is a business firm invited to become a Service Associate.

To learn more about IASB Service Associates membership, visit www.iasb.com/associates or contact Britni Beck at bbeck@iasb.com.

Consulting DECISIONINSITE, LLC DecisionInsite provides the nation’s school district leaders with the technology, enrollment forecasts, and expertise they need to understand how enrollment impacts their district.

Irvine, California 877/204-1392 ROOM READY Highly qualified audiovisual specialists who specialize in removing the complexity and ensuring that your audiovisual installations just work, both today and in the future.

Normal 309/261-3794

Environmental Services ALPHA CONTROLS & SERVICES, LLC We deliver energy cost justified solutions that make the learning environment comfortable, secure, and efficient.

Rockford, Springfield, Champaign 815/227-4000; www.alpaacs.com jasonv@alphaacs.com CTS GROUP Dedicated to assisting K-12 education meet the challenge of providing healthy, safe, and educational appropriate learning environments. St. Louis 636/230-0843; Chicago 773/633-0691; www.ctsgroup.com; rbennett@ctsgroup.com

ENERGY SYSTEMS GROUP A comprehensive energy services and performance contracting company providing energy, facility and financial solutions. Itasca 630/773-7201; smcivor@energysystemsgroup.com GCA SERVICES GROUP Custodial, janitorial, maintenance, lawn and grounds, and facility operations services. Downers Grove 630/629-4044 GRP MECHANICAL CO., INC. Renovating buildings through energy savings performance contracting to provide the best learning environment.

HVAC, plumbing, windows, doors, and mechanical services.

Bethalto 618/779-0050 HONEYWELL, INC. Controls, maintenance, energy management, performance contracting, and security. St. Louis 314/548-4136; Des Plaines 847/770-5496; Maryland Heights, Missouri 314/5484501; Doc.Kotecki@Honeywell.com; Kevin.Bollman@Honeywell.com IDEAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, INC. Asbestos and environmental services.

Bloomington 309/828-4259

July/August 2019  31

Service Associates Directory Environmental Services continued from previous page

ILLINOIS ENERGY CONSORTIUM Sells electricity and natural gas to school districts, colleges, and universities.

DeKalb 815/753-9083; www.ILLec.org; hwallace@iasbo.org ENGIE SERVICES U.S. Turnkey partnership programs that enable K12 school districts in Illinois to modernize their facilities; increase safety, security and efficiency; reduce operations costs; and maximize the lifespan of critical assets. Chicago 312/498-7792; sharon@opterraenergy.com RADON DETECTION SPECIALISTS Radon measurements in elementary, middle and high schools, as well as all DCFS licensed spaces. We service the entire state of Illinois.

Westmont. 630-325-4443/800-244-4242. www.radondetection.net; KirstenS@radondetection.net

Financial Services AMERICAN FIDELITY ASSURANCE COMPANY Specializing in Section 125 compliance, 403(b) plan administration, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, dependent audits, and health care reform. Fairview Heights 855/822-9168 BERNARDI SECURITIES, INC. Municipal bond specialty firm; offers a full range of school bond underwriting services, including capital needs financing and debt refinancing. O’Fallon 618/206/4180; Chicago 312/281-2014; rvail@bernardisecurities.com

(continued)

BMO HARRIS BANK BMO Harris Bank’s experienced specialists can help you build a sound strategy to help close budget gaps, manage dayto-day cash flow and maximize your resources. Chicago 312/461-7895

WINTRUST FINANCIAL Financial services holding company engaging in community banking, wealth management, commercial insurance premium financing, and mortgage origination. Rosemont 630/560-2120

FIRST MIDSTATE, INC. Bond issue consultants.

Bloomington 309/829-3311; paul@firstmidstate.com

Grounds and Maintenance

GORENZ AND ASSOCIATES, LTD. Auditing and financial consulting.

Peoria 309/685-7621; www.gorenzcpa.com; tcustis@gorenzcpa.com ICE MILLER, LLP Nationally recognized bond counsel services. Chicago 312/726-7127 KINGS FINANCIAL CONSULTING, INC. Municipal bond financial advisory service including all types of school bonds; school referenda, county school sales tax; tax revenue forecasts/projections.

Monticello 217/762-4578 MATHIESON, MOYSKI, AUSTIN & CO., LLP Provides audit, consulting and other related financial services to Illinois school districts, joint agreements and risk pools.

Wheaton 630/653-1616 SPEER FINANCIAL, INC. Financial planning and bond issue services. Chicago 312/346-3700; www.speerfinancial.com; dphillips@speerfinancial.com STIFEL Full service securities firm providing investment banking and advisory services including strategic financial planning; bond underwriting; referendum and legislative assistance.

Edwardsville 800/230-5151; noblea@stifel.com

NELS JOHNSON TREE EXPERTS Full service tree maintenance and plant health company. Evanston 847/475-1877

Human Resource Consulting BUSHUE HUMAN RESOURCES, INC. Human resource, safety and risk management, and insurance consulting.

Effingham 217/342-3042; www.bushuehr.com; steve@bushuehr.com

Insurance MEEMIC INSURANCE For over 66 years, Meemic has offered auto, home, and umbrella insurance products tailored specifically for the educational community.

Auburn Hills, Michigan 856/495-9041 THE SANDNER GROUP Insurance program management, marketing & claims services for workers’ compensation, property & liability.

Chicago 800/654-9504

Office Equipment FRANK COONEY COMPANY, INC. Furniture for educational environments.

Wood Dale 630/694-8800

Superintendent Searches ECRA GROUP & HYA Superintendent searches, board and superintendent workshops. Schaumburg 847/318-0072

ADVANCING PUBLIC EDUCATION IASB Service Associates provide quality products and services for schools. Membership is by invitation only. A list of Service Associate firms is on the IASB website and in this Journal.

32  Illinois School Board Journal

Milestones

Continued from page 34

Anne H. Evans, 92, died on April 7, 2019. She was elected to the Maine THSD 207 school board in 1971, serving 10 years. She was a delegate to the non-partisan Illinois Constitutional Convention in 1970, serving on the educational committee.

James A. Farber, 77, died April 19, 2019. He formerly served on the board of education for Morris High School.

Harold Farley, 90, died May 29, 2019. He was a member of the Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3 Board of Education.

Grant J. Fleenor, 95, died April 11, 2019. He served two terms on the school board for Mattoon CUSD 2.

Harry William Gleckler, 88, died May 2, 2019. He was a member of the Pittsfield school board for 27 years, including time as president. He also formerly served as mayor of New Salem.

Dean Gruben, 88, died May 22, 2019. He had served on the Kings CSD 144 Board of Education.

Gary L. Harris, 77, died May 26, 2019. He served for 22 years on the Roxana CUSD 1 Board of Education.

Patricia Anne Henderson, 81, died May 17, 2019. She spent many years on the school board for Hiawatha CUSD 426.

Inna Kerrigan, 76, died May 10, 2019. She previously served on the school board of CHSD 128 (Vernon Hills) including time as president. She was a consultant for mathematics for ISBE and an administrator at Deerfield SD 109.

James J. Kirwan, 80, died April 13, 2019. He was a member of the Bement CUSD 5 school board for 12 years, serving one term as president.

Robert J. Knudsen Sr., 95, died April 13, 2019. He had served as a school board member in Bourbonnais, where he lived for 65 years.

Bobby K. Kyler, 84, died April 12, 2019. He previously served on the Malta school board, and had volunteered with the Malta Police Department.

Philip Frank Leable, 92, died April 8, 2019. He once served on the North Prairie school board and was a dairy farmer for 22 years.

Wayne L. Lulay, 81, died April 19, 2019. He served on the DuPage HSD 88 (Villa Park) school board. He was a football player on the 1954 Peoria Central state championship team.

Bernard K. Martin, 96, died, April 2, 2019. At one time he was a member of the Wyanet school board.

Todd McLawhorn, 51, died May 28, 2019. He served for eight years on the Western Springs SD 101 Board of Education.

Roger C.H. Mohrman, 89, died April 6, 2019. He formerly served as a Camp Point CUSD 3 school board member.

Helen E. Peck, 99, died May 15, 2019. She had served on the Knoxville CUSD 202 Board of Education.

Jennifer Louise Pehlke, 50, died May 24, 2019. She served as a school board member for Winnetka Public Schools District 36. She was an adjunct professor of English and Literature at the College of Lake County.

Thomas H. Perkins, 84, died May 25, 2019. He served on the Gardner CCSD 72C board for nine years, and his civic engagement work included the Route 66 preservation committee.

Annette M. Ruh, 74, died April 11, 2019. She had served as president of the Batavia PSD 101 school board.

Delmar Glenn Sappenfield, 81, died May 10, 2019. He had served as a member of the ABL (Allerton-Broadlands-Longview) school board.

John Noble Schmidt, 89, died May 1, 2019. He had served as a member of the Northbrook SD 28 and had a careers in Army Intelligence and later in law.

Ralph Mathers Sloman, 90, died May 27, 2019. He had served on the Morrisonville CUSD 1 school board.

Dennis J. Stanczyk, 77, died May 13, 2019. He previously served on the Signal Hill school board for 12 years.

David Stone, 66, died May 15, 2019. He had previously served on the Pinckneyville District 50 school board and was a member of the Pinckneyville Public Library board.

Timothy C. Sullivan, 64, died May 23, 2019. He had served as a member of the Macomb CUSD 185 Board of Education and at one time was in charge of land-owner relations for the Macomb Balloon Rally Committee.

Linda Ann Teerling, 77, died May 28, 2019. She was a member of the Homer Glen school board for 24 years, including serving as president.

Marty Thurman, 70, died April 5, 2019. He spent several years serving the Monmouth schools as a board member.

Edgar Wagner, 87, died, April 4, 2019. A lifelong farmer, he had served on the school board for Ashton and was a president and co-founder of Living History Antique Equipment Association.

July/August 2019  33

Milestones

Achievements Ed Gray, president of the Alton CUSD 11 Board of Education, received a Community Service award at the 51st Annual Freedom Fund Banquet of the Alton branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on May 19. In accepting the award, he noted the many citizens who do not vote. “It was an embarrassment for us in this room to say 11 percent of us voted in the last election,” he said, referring to turnout in the April 2019 elections.

“I thought it was bad when it was 24 or 25 percent. Now we’re down to 11. So instead of blaming others [for problems and injustices minorities encounter], look in the mirror, and if you didn’t vote, you’re the one to blame.”

Ada m Jone s, associate professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Illinois College in Jacksonville, was presented the Harry Joy Dunbaugh Distinguished Professor Award at the college’s Honors Convocation in April. This prize is considered the greatest honor bestowed upon an Illinois College faculty member. A student committee, with oversight from the dean of the college, selects the recipient each academic year. Jones is a member of the board of education for New Berlin CUSD 16.

Barb Somogyi, a long-time member of the IASB Board of Directors, recently departed from her local school board after serving as a board member at Arlington Heights CCSD 59 for 41 years, including more than a

decade as board president. She represented the North Cook division as a director for 21 years. Somogyi said her “continuing commitment has been to give students the necessary basic and empowering skills … to prepare them to succeed on their journey of becoming independent adults and productive citizens.”

Somogyi was honored by the Illinois State Board of Education in 2005 with the Thomas Lay Burroughs Award for the State’s Outstanding School Board President. “We salute Barbara Somogyi for the work, passion and dedication she has shown on behalf of her school district and the students served there,” ISBE president Jesse Ruiz said in presenting the award. Somogyi served on many local, regional, and national education-related boards and commissions.

In Memoriam Beverley Ann (Johnson) Atkins, 81, died March 5, 2019. She served on the Homewood-Flossmoor CHSD 233 from 1979 to 1998, including a term as president. Atkins was active in IASB activities and served on committees created by state lawmakers and advocacy organizations.

William F. Barton, 84, died April 8, 2019. He was educated in the Cornell schools and served on Cornell’s boards of education for the grade school and high school.

Rose Ann Binkley, 65, died May 3, 2019. She had served on the Warrensburg-Latham CUSD 11 Board of Education.

Ervin G. Borrowman, 90, died April 3, 2019. He previously served 34  Illinois School Board Journal

his community as a West Pike school board member and board president.

Robert K. Burden, 90, died May 18, 2019. He was a past member, secretary, and president of the Harlem SD 122 school board in Machesney Park.

Sandy Collins, 73, died May 16, 2019. She served on the Proviso THSD 209 Board of Education.

Kenneth W. Cory, 88, died April 30, 2019. He had been a member of the school board for Carrollton CUSD 1.

Garry Costenson, 56, died May 28, 2019. He served on the Kewanee CUSD 229 school board from 2001 to 2005 and was the co-founder and chairman of the KHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

Lowell A. Cutsforth, 80, died May 9, 2019. He served on the board of education for Fox River Grove CSD 3 for over 16 years.

Eugene L. Decker, 78, died, May 27, 2019. He was a member of the Annawan CUSD 226 school board from 1981 to 1989.

Frances C. Dambacher, 80, died April 27, 2019. Dambacher was a member and past president of the Divernon Board of Education.

Ann Marie Dickett, 82, died May 21, 2019. She served as a member and president of the Flossmoor SD 161 school board for many years.

Continued on page 33

Insights “According to a new statewide poll, 83% of Illinois residents believe improving public schools is one of the most important issues facing the state ... When asked to grade public schools’ quality of work nationally, 42% gave schools a C, while 22% gave failing grades, according to the poll. When asked to grade the quality of Illinois’ public schools as a whole, only 34% gave the state a C while 33% gave the state failing grades. Illinois residents had a slightly more optimistic view of the public schools in their local communities, with 26% giving schools a C and only 22% failing grades.”

— “Poll: Illinoisans Say Improving Schools Among Top Issues Facing State,” Kristen Thometz, WTTW, Chicago, April 30, 2019, based on a survey released by the Illinois Education Association.

“Children aren’t just smaller versions of adults. They are their own kind of being. They need to move, talk, question, and explore more than we do, because they’re in

the midst of that mind-boggling explosion of cognitive, physical, and social-emotional growth that marks childhood in our species. ... it doesn’t make sense to hold young children to norms better suited to adults, because the way they experience the world is fundamentally different from the way grownups do.”

— “4 Things Teachers Shouldn’t Be Asking Their Students to Do,” Justin Minkel, Education Week, April 8, 2019.

“… The last day of school at Oak Park’s Beye Elementary, and 6-yearold Matias Best didn’t want to go.

Matias is on the autism spectrum, and transitions can be a challenge. ...

[His teacher, with his mom] called him. He wasn’t budging. ‘I was out and about after the bell rang, and I happened to overhear mom and the resource teacher FaceTiming, trying to get Mati here,’ Principal Jonathan Ellwanger said. ‘So I just joined in.’

Ellwanger asked Matias if he’d like to know what was on the lunch

menu that day. He asked Matias if he’d like to come join them for the last day of school. A few minutes after the call, Ellwanger was at Matias’ door, ready to escort his formerly reluctant charge to his final day of first grade.

— “Oak Park 1st grader with autism didn’t want to face the last day of school, so his principal asked if he could walk him there. The boy was delighted.” Heidi Stevens, “Balancing Act,” Chicago Tribune, June 8, 2019.

“How do we weigh our awareness of the overall safe character of U.S. schools against the compelling desire to prevent more school shootings if at all possible? … In our view, achieving such a balance means taking rational and effective actions to prevent school shootings while also being cautious not to sacrifice educational goals or the school climate for the sake of exaggerated safety concerns.”

— “Protecting Students from Gun Violence. Does ‘target hardening’ do more harm than good?,” Bryan R. Warnick and Ryan Kapa, Education Next, Spring 2019.

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